Wreaths at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery

Arlington, Virginia (CNN) -- For Karen and Morrill Worcester, it's a campaign that blossomed out of a personal family tradition. But for the families of the fallen, it's a holiday tribute to remember the sacrifice of those who have given their lives in the armed services.

On Saturday, volunteers flooded the grounds at Arlington National Cemetery to take part in the annual wreath-laying ceremony sponsored by Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization born out of the Arlington Wreaths Project.

The husband and wife have been laying wreaths at the cemetery on their own since 1992, inspired by a visit Morrill paid to the landmark when he was a boy. Wreaths Across America began laying the decoration in 2006 and now places red-ribboned fir wreaths on veterans' gravestones across the country.

On this brisk December morning, volunteers huddled together at McClellan Arch.

"These are families here, they're not stones, they're not graves," said Karen Worcester, who acts as a spokesperson for Wreaths Across America. "This is our history, and we need to take that and teach that to our children. Our mission is to teach our children the value of freedom."

READ THE REST AND SEE MORE STIRRING PHOTOS